Planet Berlin: Traditional carpets from North Africa

Walid Kacem is actually a trained engineer. But when he meets his wife Julia and soon after had three children, a regular hours office job seemed out of the question. Together with Julia he shares the passion for tasteful interiors. And as a Tunisian whose ancestors were Berbers, the business idea was quickly born: selling hand-selected North African carpets.

The Kacems buy directly from small manufacturers made up mostly of Berber women in Tunisia and Morocco. They support a traditional craft that is more than two millennia old. At least as important: Berberlin pays fair wages for the valuable manual labor.

The so-called Azilal carpets and rugs are woven by Berbers in the Moroccan region of Azilal in the High Atlas mountains. The weaving method is traditionally passed on by the mothers to their daughters. Colorful wool and synthetic threads give a signature accent to the pure sheep wool carpets.

When the Kacems initially equipped their apartment with carpets they brought back from North Africa, friends soon asked asked if they could bring one back on their next trip. One thing led to another. The living room became a carpet warehouse and finally the couple founded the Berberlin showroom in the multicultural Bergmannkiez.